Super trail in Helsinki: The Keskuspuisto MTB trail - Enduro in the city park

Text: Timo Londen

Hyvää huomenta - even the Finnish "good morning" sounds extremely complicated. Perhaps the language is the reason why Europe's mountain bikers don't have Finland at the top of their to-do list. Yet Helsinki is one of the few capital cities on the continent that is not only beautifully situated by the sea, but also offers its inhabitants permitted, urban trails!

The 1000-hectare Keskuspuisto Park stretches through the centre of the city like a green aisle. A dense strip of birch, pine and fir trees simply blocks out the hustle and bustle of everyday working life. All you can hear here is the chirping of birds. And, of course, the crackling of the pine needles that your own rear tyre whirls up from the trails. The network of paths in this green lung is extensive and you have to share most of it with hikers and joggers. However, this trail circuit is not particularly popular with other park users due to the constant change of surface.

For mountain bikers with an enduro heart, on the other hand, it is the ultimate: you can start the trail anywhere, we started near the riding arena in the south of the city and emerged there after a total of 12.8 kilometres with 245 metres of elevation gain in our legs. It starts here with easy, earthy lines that are soon interspersed with the first bumps. An undulating profile that tempts you to accelerate too much very early on. In the middle of the forest, bare rocky ridges suddenly break out of the ground. Although you need momentum for these steps, you also need a trained eye to be able to react to gullies and rock steps in good time. There are also many, many roots, smaller drops and sometimes exposed passages where the tyres should definitely stick firmly to the ground. The climbs are short, but mostly technical. And that's exactly why I love these trails. If you really step on the gas here, this route requires 100 per cent attention.

The Maunulan Café awaits about halfway round the route. The café is located in the middle of the forest and is, of course, the meeting point for all city bikers. Here you can quickly strike up a conversation, discuss the current key section of the park tour and make an appointment for the next trail ride together. And don't worry, the young Finns in particular usually speak good English and are very open-minded. They also tend to greet each other in the morning with a simple "hei" and it's easy to remember the Finnish "bye": "hei hei!".

The MTB trail through Keskuspuisto Park, Helsinki

• Length: 12.8 kilometres
• Uphill: 245 metres in altitude
• Difficulty: medium to difficult

The GPS data for MTB Supertrail No. 88 through Keskuspuisto Park can be downloaded here free of charge.